Jack Frost's Bride
its end and took a contemplative drag. The moon cut a sliver in the star-prick
his reflection in the moonlight and cast his cigarette into the water. His image rippled:
ut this was a bit too degrading. What in thrice nine kingdoms was he doing babysitting? Morozko looked into the water, with half a mind to drop Anya in. Giving h
d below. Morozko walked away, banishing all thoughts
rusalka's flesh shone fish-silver in the darknes
g fowl over a fire. She had never so much as drowned a single peasant or taken a vodyanoi merman to bed, though there were many rowdy vodyanoi that fancied the airheaded rusalka. In fact, she had probably been dented on t
ike I am a ghost. What are you
. He tripped on a root and fell to the gr
oke, cr
"Rusalka are barren. But now I can finally have a daughter.
is Baba Yaga's brat. Why
er eyes. "Why did n
o turned to Elizaveta. "The hag has gone demented, that is why. She wants us t
wirled. "Anya, eh
ountry babushka does not raid children from. From what I can tell, Baba Yaga thinks
how. Leshys have such a strange magic. Oh, mooncalf, you p
n your fishy head! Mooncalf isn't her name. She is Anya, and she is mine. She will make a ni
wanted to
nged m
just h
ko re
t child," Elizaveta crooned. "Little Annushka. You are sweet as a fish's tail, m
rolled h
's cheek, but paused
eta glared at Morozko. "What the hell did you do
at a tree. He
ol
r witch's brew.
! How could you hurt such an inn
ys. Witch's brew will strengthen her. It is a harsh world that Anya will live in. Better to
heir own, just as lovers on Ivan Kupalo mark their union by mixing fern flower nectar. She is bo
The hag cannot have her all to herself. An
silenced them. They
it, it is Dima," he said.
ragtag forces. Their icy arrows and frosty spears and icicle swords brought the fury of nature down upon Buyan. Morozko tucked Anya into his coat and let steam pour from his skin, ridding her of the c
rry of animals - foxes, caribou, bears - spiraled out from the birch. In the distance a great figure, tall as the
h frost. The leaves in his green-gold hair formed a halo in the buffeting wind. Birds nested in his
on Morozko. The wolves that thronged rou
ng marrow. The last thing he want
r head out of the clouds and come home with us. There is fresh
he was the size of a burly man. Dmitri buried his hand in the mane of a white wolf. He spread his other arm wide in welcome. "Kolya
ozko. "Help. This is y
of lightning he was at Morozko's side. "I smell a child on you, son." The
or humans - that banniks delight in trespassing souls - but this is inexcusable. I pardon your unappetizing habits on Earth, but this is the realm of nechi
pped her into my arms like a demented stork. She is meant as a present t
Dmitri b
" Morozko muttered. "She would